As hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for the second time in a month to call for immigration reform, employers across the country got their first taste of worker absenteeism and lower sales &ndash; aftershocks of the divisive national debate that could intensify in coming months as the unresolved congressional debate over illegal immigration drags on.

Meatpacking, construction and retail -- especially in the South and Midwest -- were among industries affected by absenteeism as workers attended protests...